UK viewers embracing chatterboxing

Research conducted for TeleScope 2012, which looks at the UK’s TV viewing habits, suggests that the trend of commenting via a second screen about a programme, or ‘chatterboxing’, is snowballing in popularity. A quarter of all adults (26 per cent), and just under half (44 per cent) of those aged under 35, say they have commented to others, online or via SMS, about a TV programme they have been watching.

Chatterboxing is actually reinforcing some people’s desire to watch scheduled TV. An ICM poll suggests that a quarter (24 per cent) of social media savvy adults, aged under 35, watch a programme live, rather than on catch up, because they enjoy being part of the related social media chatter. One in five (19 per cent) are more likely to watch something as it is being shown on TV because they are worried ‘social media spoilers’ will ruin the ending.

Online buzz is further changing viewing behaviour by introducing us to new programmes, as one in six (17 per cent) of those aged under 35 who use social media said they can be persuaded to watch a new TV programme if they see online chatter about it.

TeleScope also reveals the average Brit’s weekly TV diet: consists of 28 hours of TV, which includes 2.5 hours of catch-up, on the ‘traditional’ TV set. This is topped up even further because, on average, Brits spend over three hours per week tuning into the small screen, watching programmes on our laptops, smartphones and tablets, according to ICM research commissioned by TV Licensing. In total, this could amount to watching over 31 hours per week, or more than two months per year.

Other highlights from the report include:

– Brits have a myriad of TV devices: The average household has 2.3 TV sets, 1.51 laptops, 0.77 smartphones and 0.33 tablets on which we watch television.
– Brits love upgrading: 37 per cent of Brits said they would be investing in additional viewing technology in 2012.
– Watching ‘on the go’ is increasing: One in four people (25 per cent) watched TV content on the move in 2011, via mobile viewing technologies. The figure is much higher for under 35s, as 35 per cent watched in this way last year.
– Brits watch in a variety of ways: For this summer’s Olympics, 88 per cent of us are planning to watch the action on the traditional set. We are supplementing our viewing with mobile devices – 7 per cent will watch some of the sporting events on a PC or laptop, and 1 per cent will tune in on a smartphone and 1 per cent on a tablet.
– Catch-up viewing is rising: While live TV is still hugely dominant, more people are creating their own TV schedules, as time-shifted viewing accounted for 9.2 per cent of UK consumption in 2011, up from 7.1 per cent in 2010.